Their insistence on defunding Obamacare was strong, but
Republicans would openly admit that they didn't have a clear
strategy, and that led to bickering within the party. One GOP
aide complained that Cruz and other "defunders" don't
have a plan beyond expecting Obama to sign a rollback of his
signature legislative achievement in a grand, Rose Garden
ceremony.

Here's another quote from Rep. Mark Meadows
(R-N.C.), who spearheaded the "defund" effort in the House by
getting 80 House conservatives to sign onto a letter urging House leadership to
defund Obamacare:

"This fight now has become about veterans, and about
National Guard folks that perhaps—reservists that are not getting
paid. That’s where the fight is today."